Laura Veirs - Saltbreakers

Based on what her albums accentuate, Laura Veirs is an amazing lyricist and a good musician, but only a decent singer. She doesn’t have the perfect pitch or a terrific tone, but what she lacks in talent, she makes up for in personality. Her new album Saltbreakers delivers much of the same as her other efforts: a varied collection of well crafted songs that are in many ways enjoyable but in no way groundbreaking.

Veirs’ personality comes clear through in her lyrics but mostly in her unique vocal presence. For example, Veirs’s role as the widowed lover in the Decemberists’ “Yankee Bayonet” (from The Crane Wife) made that song memorable and accessible. Likewise, when she sings “Sorry I was cruel/I was protecting myself/Tattering my own sails/and I tattered yours too” in the opening track “Pink Light”, I believe in and relate to the emotion being conveyed.

In the short, seemingly simple lines of her songs, Veirs not only presents heartfelt emotions but also vivid imagery. Throughout the album, she creates a romantic mystical land filled with pirates, fairies, magic, mystery, all taking place in the vastness of a great ocean. There is little solid land spoken of, which conveys a strong feeling of instability and doubt. Most of the images she creates relate beautifully to the human experience, but more specifically to the pain, hope, mystery and adventure of the Christian journey. Over the sharp electronic beats and crisp fast-paced guitar of the track “Don’t Lose Yourself”, Veirs sings “Just look at the mess we are in/cosmic collisions and the crucifixion of the rose/dut don’t lose yourself/don’t let yourself be lost.”

“Drink Deep” continues with a motif of fulfillment and purpose. Veirs’ tender, heartfelt, almost motherly voice gently moves between softly laid acoustic guitar and sings, “Drink deep, my love/for the water is gasping for your mouth/ggasping for your mouth.” And “Nightingale” sounds like an immortalized lullaby that follows the nightingale over the scenery Veirs spends the first half of the album painstakingly laying out. It beautifully conveys the basic human desire for a calm song and an elevated perspective.

Musically, these songs float somewhere between classic folk rock and progressive indie. More important is the way the accompaniment—consisting not much more than keyboard, drums and guitars—emphasis the most important aspects of the songs: the songs themselves. Anything more than Veirs and her guitar should be window dressing and only help to further her as a songwriter. It should, and for the most part does not, clutter or distract from the core of the songs. Sadly, this is not the case with the entire album. “Saltbreakers” and “To the Country” make this album difficult to enjoy.

There is simply too much going on and all of it distracts from the tender personality of Veirs’ vocals. This would be an even bigger disappointment if lyrically these two songs had much of any substance. Some of the imagery remains but the emotion, the feeling is lost. The verses are void of originality and choruses are sing-songy mash of echoing voices. “Saltbreakers” features a mini choir of men (or incredibly deep voiced women) filling in empty space and “To the Country” uses a group of women who repeat nearly all of Veirs’ lyrics. “Phantom Hotel” is a hard rocker that follows a similar pattern: too much instrumentation and not enough substance. These are types of songs that help me to understand why fans were so upset when Dylan went electric or why Nirvana’s Unplugged album was so popular.

Though the middle is extremely lacking, the album finishes fairly well. “Cast a Hook” is the most well crafted song on the album, with precise guitar work and vocals that move effortlessly between calm whisper and near shout. “Black Butterfly” is a lovely piano ballad about finding clarity, peace, and reconciliation: “Evergreen boughs above me tower/singing quiet songs about forgiveness.”

Lyrically speaking, the album is masterful and features beautiful imagery and realistic emotion. Musically, Saltbreakers is good, not great. The middle of the album distracts from the good songs that surround and can make the album difficult to hold on to and love.